Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh in Republic of Marshall Islands

By a Staff Reporter:

Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Minister of State (MoS) for Foreign Affairs and Education, led a delegation to The Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI) on 19-20 October 2023. This was the first Ministerial level visit from India to the Marshall Islands in the last five years. 

MoS commenced the visit with a meeting with Jimata Kabua, Chairman of Council of Iroij (council of traditional chiefs/elders). He called on Wilbur Heine, Acting President of the Marshall Islands, during which he also met other Cabinet Ministers of Marshall Islands, including Jack Ading, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Kitlang Kabua, Minister of Culture & Internal Affairs, Kessai Note, Minister of Transportation, Communication & Information Technology, Joe Bejang, Minister of Justice, Immigration & Labour, Hiroshi Yamamura, Minister of Works, Infrastructure & Utilities, and Jiba Kabua Former Minister of Works, Infrastructure & Utilities. He also had a bilateral meeting with Jack Ading, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, during which both sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including development partnership.

Since 2005, India has undertaken twelve development projects in Marshall Islands in areas such as solar energy, communicant equipment, export strategy, disaster relief, community development, water and sanitation. India and the Marshall Islands are working together in various areas of mutual interest such as climate change, environment conservation, health and education, capacity building including through ITEC courses, water and sanitation. Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh also met Mr. Kudo Kabua, Mayor of Wotho Atoll, where a community development project is currently being implemented. He visited the Women's Clam and Coral Farm Project and the Alele Museum and Public Library which serves as the national archives of RMI. He also participated in a Yoga Session with yoga practitioners of the Marshall Islands. Relations between India and the Marshall Islands have expanded over the years both bilaterally and under the aegis of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC). RMI has also joined the International Solar Alliance.